


Seducer

by Yuletide (Zebra)



Category: Foreigner Series - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 08:15:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13050078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zebra/pseuds/Yuletide
Summary: Machigi found some old tradition on celebrating new deals.





	Seducer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ololon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ololon/gifts).



The rain kept splattering against the windows. 

The world outside was dark and non-existent. Occasionally a lightning stroke would reveal that which was hidden.

Despite the torrent outside, Machigi felt calm. His world was unperturbed – the forces of baji and naji had brought stability to the chaos that recently reigned.

Not everything had been settled, not all dies had been thrown yet, but order was returning. Not necessarily the order the region had wanted for, but an order Machigi could support. An alliance with the dowager was nothing to be shunned. One-upping the aiji was even more desirable, although one had to be careful about that. The aiji was no one to be trifled with, and particularily in this issue there was an unfortunate two headed-beast in the aiji and the dowager whose ire best remained sleeping. Still Machigi had not been able to resist showing even this slightest bit of power, and he wasn’t sure whether it had cost aiji anything at all to acquiesce to his demand. It was not very polite to ask, especially since the answer had been yes. Nothing more was needed for Machigi.

The yes, and the paidhi-aiji traveling to his estate to celebrate the first ships being sent onto the new route to the East, were more than enough for Machigi. Whom else could he have requested, but the harbinger of mediation, the dowager’s favored Lord, the aiji’s favored human, the Lord of the Heavens from whose domain assistance in safe voyages was promised.

The paidhi had been sent and soon would be here to complete an ages old ritual of the region. One that said a successful business deal should always be settled in bed. The stories how that tradition came about were numerous, but nobody knew for sure. Machigi, however, knew that the dowager had recently requested one of the only comprehensive accounts of the history of this practice.

 

And now the paidhi was here, since surely the dowager could not partake herself. Although the rumors were that she could if she wanted to. And Machigi wondered what traditions of the East the dowager had shared with the paidhi. Quite a few, if the rumors were true. Which was one of the reasons Machigi had suggested the paidhi on his own: rumors. There were a great many about the white-ribboned lord, but few accounts one could believe in any certainty. So what better way to find the truth than to go directly to the source?

And if the paidhi let slip some hints whether rumors about other people were true, well, all the better. Although Machigi did not really expect that from this night. The paidhi was many things, but in general it was agreed that he wasn’t given to stray far from the dowager’s or the aiji’s side. One of the more memorable stories hearkened back to when he protected the aiji’s secrets against the dowager herself. Machigi had of course seen of the first speech the paidhi gave before both houses. Had seen the sling and the bedraggled look. Sturdy to have survived the dowager’s attentions but still one would have to be careful. Neither the aiji nor the dowager would take kindly to having their paidhi come to harm at his hands.

For a fleeting moment, Machigi wondered whether he should have asked for an inconsequential clerk in some back room office. For surely he’d face the same whispers that were spoken about the dowager and the aiji – on how the human was not actually their servant at all, but kept them under his thrall by wily means.

Fortunately Machigi gave little for those whispers; the paidhi was formidable enough without being ascribed mythical abilities.

The soft ring of a bell advised him that the paidhi was here. And sure enough as he turned around, the door opened and the paidhi stood there. A bright white apparition of death against the backdrop of the dark halls. Now, Machigi didn't think that the paidhi would personally bring him death – despite being dressed in colors of the death which turns everything equal, which judges no one more than other. No, if death lay in his future, it surely would come from the two dark shadows behind the paidhi. At least, their eyes promised him death should anything happen to their lord. In a way those sentiments were assuring; they meant that those two were here as their Lord’s guard, not as the aiji’s harbinger of death. And that those had been sent by the aiji in that capacity on occasion was no rumor, Machigi knew. 

“Nand’ paidhi, one welcomes you.”

With some trepidation clear on his face the human stepped in and the door closed. The paidhi was his for the night.

Machigi was not one to lose what little time he was able to ask for, so he made sure to use it wisely. Gently but firmly he pushed the paidhi against the door, making sure that the thump could be heard outside. It was dangerous to play with assassins like that, but he was also sure that they would not interfere unless their charge was in mortal peril. More, his own guards had said they weren’t sure at the means the paidhi’s people had to ascertain his well-being. Surly people who walked among the stars had many wondrous things at hand. But for now, the paidhi was a creature of the earth and securely locked in his arms. 

Machigi might have initiated the kiss, but the paidhi who might look weak and meek when next to the aiji, was neither weak nor meek at all and gave as good as he got. Soon Machigi was gasping for air, but still he could not get enough of kissing the paidhi. The taste was exotic, unlike anything he had ever tasted. He had imagined that he would taste like the fine and carefully chosen wine he had send over. Wine the paidhi had drunken, that much his servants had reported. But he could only detect the slightest note of it. And it also became clear that while the paidhi would not take the lead himself, he quite clearly was not hesitating to follow Machigi’s. 

So a lead Machigi would give him and started to divest him of his clothes.

Which proved somewhat disappointing; the clothes were atevi style down to the underwear, Machigi had hoped to get to explore at least some human clothing. Alas, he would have to explore other things. 

The paidhi needed only little help in getting Machigi’s clothes off of him, which was mostly due to Machigi being so much taller than the paidhi.

But finally they stood naked in front of each other. Machigi supposed that the experience was more interesting to him than it was to the paidhi. For surely even if the paidhi normally weren’t so inclined towards atevi, he would have practiced and therefore knew an ateva looked like. So Machigi took his time just to stare. The paidhi looked rather like an ateva with his color inverted and on the smallish side. But then, Machigi had expected little else, since whatever other rumors flew, none had ever mentioned the paidhi’s body looking exotically different.

Machig drew him to his bed, his excitement quite apparent – and soon enough with clever hands exploring what was laid before him, he was equally excited. 

Seeing the way the paidhi changed color – aside from his other signs of excitement – nearly made Machigi draw the whole affair out, just see what other colors he could get the paidhi to change to. 

For now, this would have to do, since Machigi was quite out of patience. The paidhi had kept kissing him and biting him, not to mention putting his hands everywhere he could reach. Machigi was quite ready to see what he looked like when he lost the final bit of his composure, for while an ateva might be quite skillful in keeping their emotions in check, the paidhi had little such skills and the fire in those eyes and short gasps had Machigi only wanting more.

And more he took and gave. The oil had been carefully chosen and sent over for the paidhi’s people to assure that he would not be unfortunately affected by it. But still, it was with sharp eyes that Machigi prepared him with it. He had little interest in seeing the paidhi come to harm unintended.

“Stop teasing, nand’ Machigi.”

At the first words the paidhi spoke that night, Machigi was only too happy to oblige. He wondered whether the aiji or the dowager similarly heeded his wishes and whether the paidhi really was such a masterful seducer.

But for now, as the paidhi’s body yielded to his, and the paidhi lay there beneath him with his eyes closed and lost in his own little world, Machigi cared little whether he was falling under the paidhi’s spell or the other way around. The paidhi rocked into each of his thrusts, legs kept securely and strongly around Machigi’s hips. And still, the paidhi had more self-possession than Machigi could have accounted for, because as Machigi hurtled for release, he was dimly aware that the paidhi did not follow.

A few moments later after he had ridden his elation he turned to his guest again. The old traditions quite clearly fulfilled. There was a small smirk on the paidhi’s lips. One which Machigi would have wanted to kiss away – but not now, he wanted the paidhi to be unaware the next time they kissed, and instead helped clean them up. And if afterward he dragged him back down, just to hold them in their sleep, who could begrudge him? The paidhi certainly did not. Machigi wondered if he would be as obliging once the morning came; he intended to make sure the paidhi would shatter from the elation he kept resisting this night. Maybe then his tongue would be looser and Machigi would get more than he had asked for.

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to keita52 for beta reading.


End file.
